


How It Starts

by unofficialkarkat



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 08:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11482527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unofficialkarkat/pseuds/unofficialkarkat
Summary: ‘I have to be more honest...’ Nico reminded himself. ‘I have to give things a chance, or else there isn’t one.’ He remembered his new friend Jason, remembered the encouragements. He thought of Reyna and her hug. Those things, though he was hesitant to say they were permanent, were good. Maybe...this could be good too.





	How It Starts

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I actually got this out, SolAngelo is taking my ass out like nobody's business. So here is a small story, an imagining of one way they could have started to date, because I can't get enough of the gay. Hope you enjoy. This is set directly after The Blood of Olympus.

Three days in the infirmary, he'd made Nico promise. Three days. This would be day four. The first two days had been spent with Nico mostly sleeping, being woken up only to use the restroom or by Will to eat and drink. (He'd said he was fine, he didn't need to sleep, but as soon as Nico had laid down on a cot he was out.) The third day, they got to talk. Will and the few other medics they had on duty were pretty busy still, after so much fighting. But Nico and Will had gotten a chance to talk when nighttime hit.   
  
As people settled to sleep, things were pretty calm. Will sat down in a chair by Nico's cot (which was surprisingly well padded) and asked the usual check up questions; how are you doing, did you finish your meal, do you need another blanket, etcetera. Nico answered minimally to get to what was on his mind the entire time he’d been in the infirmary. "You've acted like you've known me for awhile. But I only recognize you as a camp counselor and medic. I don't know you beyond that."   
  
The point-blank stare Nico gave Will made the blond shift in his seat. Now that was the kind of nervous reaction Nico expected; people were supposed to get nervous around him, it's just how it always went. Will’s earlier behavior was so confusingly casual, stubborn and blunt. With a light fluster, Will stared back. Nico wondered if he’d scared the son of Apollo so bad he flustered, which didn’t help make sense to Nico.   
  
"Well you caught me." Will raised both hands up in front of his chest in surrender, smiling crookedly. "Might as well tell you now."   
  
There was a dramatic pause. Will took in a deep breath. Nico squinted at him.   
  
"Are you gonna take a month?" Nico asked, sounding genuine despite it being sarcastic. He wasn't great with tone.   
  
"Hold your horses, I'm tryna be romantic."   
  
They both stared at each other again.   
  
"Wait what."   
  
"What."   
  
More staring.   
  
Nico huffed abruptly, glaring now. "Solace, I'm too tired for dumb jokes okay? Whatever it is, just say it."   
  
"I'm not trying to joke!" Will waved his hands, then blushed more as he realized he'd been too loud. He swallowed nervously and tucked some blond hair behind his ear before continuing in a whisper. "I just, am a little embarrassed okay? I've been watching you for awhile, like...when you show up at camp and- gods does that sound creepy, wow, uh..." Will stared at his knees and tapped his fingers, scrambling for words.   
  
"Uh, yeah. It does." Nico reassured terribly. Seeing Will looking even more frazzled, Nico asked, "So uhm, why exactly have you been watching me?" The thought of someone watching him made him really uncomfortable, but he felt some pity towards Will right now.   
  
"I fum mm cu..." Will mumbled so quietly Nico couldn't make it out.   
  
The brunette sighed and leaned towards him. "Repeat that."   
  
"I think you're cute." Will hissed, face burning a bright peachy red against tan skin.   
  
Nico recoiled as fast as if he'd been slapped. He stared (he was doing that a lot tonight) and felt some heat fill his pale freckled cheeks. "Wha-...me? ...did I...hear you right?”

 

“Yes, if you heard I think you’re cute, then yes.” Will sighed out, still whispering and very red in the face.

 

Big thoughts swirled too fast in Nico’s head. Someone...thought he was cute. A **guy** ....thought he was cute. Nico started to wonder if this was some weird dream that came to him while he faded from existence after using shadow travel too much. But no, this was real. This was very real. Oh gods.

 

“I can go on but it uh, would really help to know if you hate me or not now.” Will piped up, looking similar to a hurt pup.

 

Nico tried to shake out of his shock. “Why would I hate you?” His voice was a squeak which embarrassed him more, so he cleared his throat.

 

“I dunno, you just look pretty freaked.” They both did.

 

Nico swallowed and started spinning his ring, eyes focused on the blanket covering his legs. “I don’t hate you, I just didn’t expect that. Like. At all.”

 

“I-I’m sorry, I get it if you’re not into guys, I just, you asked so-”

 

“What? You don’t-... “ Nico blanked. Of course Will didn’t know Nico was gay. No one but he and Jason did. ...and probably like, some gods. “I’m gay.”

 

Will looked downright sick from nerves. There was a small skip of hope in him as Nico’s response, but mostly he just felt sick. “I’m bi. And also inappropriate, yeah, sorry. I am so sorry holy shit.”

 

He was moved to stand up but Nico stopped him. Will watched Nico carefully as he spoke, the Hades child blushing more obviously. “Y-you’re cute too.” he stuttered out, eyes not making any contact. That made Will’s body relax a lot, then tighten again from giddiness that he was definitely going to hide.

 

“Oh thank the gods, I thought I’d scared you...” Will breathed in relief.

 

“You...kinda did. But like, shocked scared. I never... Uhm. You’re the first guy to, what’s the word, flirt with me? If that’s what’s happening...”

 

Will rubbed his freckled arm to self soothe. “If you want it to be?” He was trying to give Nico an out. He was more than okay with just being friends. He found Nico to be really interesting from what little he knew.

 

Their eyes met before they blinked away. “Sure.” Nico replied so quietly, but Will heard.

 

The rest of that night had been some small talk over why Will had noticed him ( _ “Uhm hello, you wear all black and everyone tends to give you a clear walkway, plus only Hades kid at camp. And I saw you at the battle against the titans. You were hella.” _ ), why he found him cute (a topic Will couldn't elaborate on without getting so red Nico asked if he should let Will lie down), and the like until they both parted to sleep.

 

That brought them to today, the fourth day. They continued with small talk and Nico awkwardly avoiding what had been admitted last night. Will was crestfallen. Maybe after Nico having time to think, he really wasn’t okay with Will’s attraction to him? He felt kind of sleazy for it in retrospect, since he was supposed to be taking care of Nico, not hitting on him.  _ ‘But I didn’t really, and like, he’s only like 2 years younger than me... That’s not a big deal...’ _

 

Nico didn’t know Will’s thoughts. He was mulling it over on his own, wondering if he could actually trust that someone could actually be attracted to him. Especially someone like Will. It wasn’t like Nico was pining, shit he’d just had his longest conversation with the guy ever last night. But he’d realized his brain bringing up Apollo was no coincidence. He thought Will Solace was attractive.

 

Nico could tell Will was feeling awkward. He didn’t know why, he worried that Will was having second thoughts, but he could tell in how Will’s body language was less relaxed than before around him. _ ‘I have to be more honest...’  _ Nico reminded himself. _ ‘I have to give things a chance, or else there isn’t one.’ _ He remembered his new friend Jason, remembered the encouragements. He thought of Reyna and her hug. Those things, though he was hesitant to say they were permanent, were good. Maybe...this could be good too.

 

“Well um... You’re free to go. When you’re ready.” Will drew Nico from his thoughts. Will stood there, Nico’s jacket and sword bundled in his arms neatly, and his expression so uncharacteristically neutral that Nico interpreted it as sad.

 

This was it.  _ ‘You can do it, Nico.’ _

 

Nico stood up and took his things from Will. He took in a breath and ventured to say, “You weren’t kidding about thinking I’m cute were you?” He’d learned not to cry easily, since his emotions were already quick to stir up his powers, but he felt the awful constriction in his throat as a warning.

 

Will was dumbfounded, completely throwing off his attempt at being neutral. “No of course not! You’re, Nico, you’re-” Will was blushing again and babbling, which made Nico bite his lip and blush too. Will talked with his hands a lot, Nico noticed. “You’re really cool and I’d like to get to know you, outside of the infirmary.” He coughed into his hand, as if trying to dissipate a bad joke from his lungs. Nico’s eyes practically sparkled.

 

“Like a date?” He immediately wished he hadn’t said that.

 

Will squeaked, which Nico found kind of aggravatingly adorable, and rubbed his arm. “If you’d be so kind to allow me one.” He was trying to be jokingly suave but it sounded so formal Will wanted to die a little.

 

Luckily the 1940s-raised teen didn’t seem put off. “Okay. Meet me next time you’re free at the pier.”

 

-x-x-x-

 

It took a few more days before Will was able to get away from work at the infirmary, much to his emotional suffering. He could be patient about a lot of things, like nursing someone back to health, but going on an unexpected date with a cute boy from Hades? Patience was  _ not _ his friend.

 

It was getting late, near dinner time at the camp, and Will was anxious to find Nico. The small-framed boy had said meet at the pier but how was Will supposed to know when he’d be there? He searched over a bit, asking people if they’d seen Nico, until he ended up at the pier, the one closest to the woods. Nico sat there, legs swinging off the edges as he faced the river flowing out of the woods. Had he been here the whole time?

 

Will rushed over to him, slowing down as Nico’s attention turned on him. He sat down and huffed. “Hey”

 

“Hey.” Nico gave a small smile, making the various freckles on his cheeks dance. Will’s heart skipped a beat. There was a crackling of plastic as Nico handed over a bag of Funyuns. “Want some?”

 

“Sure.” It wasn’t his favorite, but he wasn’t going to turn down something right off on this pseudo-date.

 

For a moment the only noise between them was the crunching of chips and hum of insects and frogs in the summer night. Now and then a flicker of light went by underwater, presumably from the naiads’ who caught moonlight in interesting ways.

 

“So, what would you like to do on this date?” Will asked, kicking his feet lazily off the edge of the pier and splashing droplets of water.

 

“You could tell me why you like me.” Nico glanced at Will and popped a funyun in his mouth.

 

“O-oh.” Nico was almost smug. The son of Apollo had acted pretty tough around him so far, but when it came to gay stuff, well, Will was getting easily worked up. The brunette noted Will’s outfit; a simple black t-shirt that had a metallic arrow design on it and khaki cargo shorts. It looked good on him.

 

“Well...” Will started, staring off into the water, “I mean first off, you’re really cute, we’ve established this.” He waved his hands like this was fact and Nico hummed acknowledgment, watching him attentively. “Second, you’re ridiculously brave and strong. Anyone with a brain can tell that without knowing you well. And you do so much for people around here, even though everyone is kind of jerky to you. I dunno, I just...think you’re really cute and want to know you better. Maybe like...romantically.” He looked at Nico shyly.

 

Nico took a minute to process, staring at the crumbs on his fingers. He licked them off and put away his chips before acknowledging Will directly. He leaned on his hands which were both between his legs. “I think I’d like that.”

 

The grin Will gave him made Nico’s breath honest to the gods catch, and he leaned in, stopping short of actually touching Will. Oh gods, he had almost impulsively kissed him. What the fuck. He only JUST got asked out and he almost fucked it up.

 

But the panic melted fast as Will leaned in too, closing the distance between them and muttering, “Is it okay if I kiss you?”

 

Nico nodded, heart picking up, cheeks heating.

 

It was soft, and warm, and awkward. Their lips were both chapped, Nico’s especially, and their noses bumped a little. Nico had never been so elated.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are loved.


End file.
